For example, a copying machine incorporates a feeding apparatus that supplies paper onto which an image on a document is to be copied. There has been a great demand for paper feeding apparatuses that are capable of supplying paper of various sizes according to the size of a document to be copied and in response to requests for making enlarged and reduced copies.
The following are some examples of conventional paper feeding apparatuses of this type. An apparatus shown in FIGS. 50 and 51 is provided with a plurality of box-shaped paper cassettes 62 which are mounted around a rotatable supporting rod 61. In this feeding apparatus, it is arranged that the feeding direction and axial direction of the supporting rod 61 are parallel and that any of the paper cassettes 62 can be selectively placed in front of the feeding opening 64 of the main body 63 by rotating the supporting rod 61.
As for next example, as illustrated in FIGS. 52 and 53, an apparatus includes a rotatable circular plate 51 on which a plurality of paper guides 52 are mounted. The circular plate 51 and paper guides 52 form a plurality of paper trays 54 for storing paper 53. In this case, by rotating the circular plate 51, the paper 53 is supplied from the respective paper trays 54 to the main body of a copying machine.
Usually, in order to achieve an effective use of space, a paper feeding apparatus is installed, for example, under a copying machine. And to supply various types of paper, such paper feeding apparatuses of reduced heights are installed over a plurality of stages. However, in the case of the paper feeding apparatus shown in FIGS. 50 and 51, the paper cassettes 62 are attached to the supporting rod 61. Therefore, this feeding apparatus when installed under a copying machine prevents an effective use of space. In other words, if such a feeding apparatus is incorporated into a copying machine, it causes an increase in the size of the copying machine overall.
As for the paper feeding apparatus shown in FIGS. 52 and 53, it can be installed under a copying machine so as to achieve an effective use of space. However, the apparatus was developed without considering a decrease in the plane space occupied by the rotatable circular plate 51 during rotation. Thus, similar to the above case, incorporation of the apparatus into a copying machine results in an increase in the size of the copying machine.